(a) The Director of Safety shall prescribe a reduction in the maximum weight of a vehicle and load or the maximum speed, or both, for motor vehicles as prescribed by this chapter, which reduction shall not be more than twenty-five percent (25%), whenever:
(1) The construction of new streets within platted subdivisions or otherwise in the City requires such grading, filling, bridges and/or culverts that such streets may be insufficient to bear commercial and heavy vehicle traffic thereon during the period of construction or during the maintenance period after construction thereof, or when such streets would be damaged by commercial or heavy vehicle traffic during the construction or maintenance period; or
(2) Thaws or excessive moisture or the physical condition of any street within the City render the same insufficient to bear commercial and heavy vehicle traffic and such streets would be damaged by such traffic thereon.
The Director of Safety shall prescribe such reduction as the condition of such street justifies, but no reduction shall be made unless the City Engineer certifies that the condition of the street requires the same.
The Director shall, at least one day before any reduction becomes effective, cause signs of substantial construction to be placed or erected on such streets at both ends and at the points of intersection by principal roads, during the period of such reduced limitations of weight, speed or both, which will conspicuously indicate the limitations of weight or speed, which are allowed on the streets and the date such limitations go into effect. No person shall operate upon any such street a motor vehicle whose maximum weight or speed is in excess of the limitation prescribed by posted signs. (Ord. 40-63. Passed 5-13-63.)
(b) Whoever violates the weight provisions of this chapter shall be fined eighty dollars ($80.00) for the first 2,000 pounds, or fraction thereof, of overload; for overloads in excess of 2,000 pounds, but not in excess of 5,000 pounds, such person shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00) and in addition thereto one dollar ($1.00) per one hundred pounds of overload; for overloads in excess of 5,000 pounds but not in excess of 10,000 pounds, such person shall be fined one hundred thirty dollars ($130.00) and in addition thereto two dollars ($2.00) per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. For all overloads in excess of 10,000 pounds such person shall be fined one hundred sixty dollars ($160.00) and in addition thereto three dollars ($3.00) per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. Whoever violates the weight provisions of vehicles and load relating to gross load limits shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00). No penalty prescribed in this subsection shall be imposed on any vehicle combination if the overload on any axle does not exceed 1,000 pounds, and if the immediately preceding or following axle, excepting the front axle of the vehicle combination, is underloaded by the same or a greater amount. For purposes of this subsection, two axles on one vehicle less than eight feet apart, shall be considered as one axle.
(ORC 5577.99(A))